


Amplified

by Kaorusan241



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: AU, Coffee Shop, Demon/Human, M/M, Marco diaz/tom - Freeform, tom the demon x marco diaz, tom x marco, tom/marco - Freeform, tomarco - Freeform, tomco - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-23
Updated: 2015-10-10
Packaged: 2018-04-16 21:30:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4640874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaorusan241/pseuds/Kaorusan241
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marco is a psychology student working the evening shifts at his parents café. After one romantic setback too many, Tom, impulsive lead guitarist of an obscure band, decides to stop by for his caffeine fix. A certain safe kid thinks he can help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Today's special: Tom

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't mean to ship it, but the fanarts on tumblr right now are just too good. I'm not sorry (¬‿¬)

ᴡᴇʟᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴅɪᴀᴢ ᴄᴏғғᴇᴇʜᴏᴜsᴇ!  
ᴏᴘᴇɴ 7:00 ᴀ.ᴍ. – 11:00 ᴘ.ᴍ ᴍᴏɴᴅᴀʏ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ғʀɪᴅᴀʏ

Working as a barista wasn’t too bad, Marco supposed. It paid relatively well, and didn’t interfere much with his afternoon classes. Marco smiled as he caught the rich scent of coffee from a moka pot behind the bar, humming slightly as he took it off the stove.

Sure, it could be a little boring sometimes - the café was largely deserted in the evenings - but he liked the peace and quiet. The Diazes clientele at this time of day were usually intellectuals - ranging from journalists in threadbare suits, shabby briefcases propped open by their feet, to the occasional college student desperate to finish off a last minute paper.

Marco knew that feeling well. While he might have been impeccably organised during high school, keeping up with the demands of college life on top of a part-time job was proving challenging. The evening shifts he had been forced to take didn’t help his social life either, but Marco didn’t go out all that much anyway so it wasn’t a huge sacrifice.

The Diaz Coffeehouse was located on the fringe of the rougher part of San Diego, rising costs of rent forcing his parents to compromise regarding location. Luckily the coffee was good enough that people from all reaches of the city were starting to take notice, so the family got by. That being said, Marco was still determined to help out around the café, as he knew that his involvement in the family business meant a lot to his parents. Marco also secretly prided himself on knowing exactly which blends worked best for people.

His face took on a fond expression as he recalled Star’s reaction on opening day, the cinnamon whip cappuccino placed in front of her proudly announced to be “the best she’d ever tasted”. Marco had tried explaining that their ground coffee beans were unlikely to be any better than those she got at home, but she merely shrugged him off with a laugh.

Star was the best apartment buddy he could have asked for, without a doubt. They were sophomores now and although people had been skeptical at first (‘That coffee kid’ and Star Butterfly, living together?) the speculation all soon faded when it became clear how close the pair were.

The situation was complex, usually Marco would have opted to room with one of the guys in his criminal psychology class, but Star was a special case.

Her father was the CEO of Mewni enterprises, which were apparently specialists in “eco manufacturing”, and “developing next generation farming solutions”. He had sent her to find a flat to share, at least until Star was old enough to inherit the company, so that she could get some sense of the ‘real world’ and learn the true value of her position.

Luckily for her Marco hadn’t yet managed to find a suitable flat mate, and thus their friendship was sealed. Although Star was loud and excitable she usually burnt off most of this energy during the day, spending her time chucking paints of all different colours at giant canvases and making sculptures.

Star had never been much of an academic, but her art was truly something to behold. She was particularly fond of jumping between her murals using what she called her ‘dimensional scissors’ technique, choosing to work on multiple canvases at once instead of just one. Star said it helped her creative flow or something, but Marco was more into logic and reason and so just nodded along.

▵▿▵▿

Tom scowled, passers-by taking a wary step back as he stormed down the street. Just when he thought he was on the cusp of finally patching things up with Star, she’d gone and gotten herself a new boyfriend. Some guy called Oskar Greason, Brian had said.

Thinking about it, Brian had looked pretty shocked when Tom suddenly stomped out of his office, and so he made a mental note to apologise to his manager later. Brian had merely been relaying some information on ‘Echo Creek’, a rival band that had Greason as a lead singer. Tom shuddered - he hated synthesized music. Although his music taste was actually quite eclectic, the keytar was a step too far. He’d thought that his band falling into relative obscurity was a good thing, but if it meant he had to compete for underground venues with jerks like Greason he’d take a pass.

Tom was just about ready to get on his motorbike and head home, when he caught sight of a faint glow out of the corner of his eye. He glanced over at the wall of what appeared to be some kind of vintage clothing store – no, coffee shop – “ ** _Diaz Coffeehouse_** ” scrawled across it in black paint.

“Diaz Coffeehouse”. The title was simple and to the point, just how Tom liked his coffee. Situated just outside the dodgier part of the city, Tom guessed its owners couldn’t be the most affluent. However its bright lights posed a stark contrast with the dingy atmosphere of the shops surrounding it, which made Tom curious. So although it was different to the seedy joints he usually frequented at this time of day, he decided that a quick stop-off couldn’t hurt.

▵▿▵▿

It was a particularly boring shift late one chilly autumn evening, and Marco had resigned to the fact that no more customers were likely to join the drama major in the corner, who sat furiously typing and taking advantage of the Diazes free wifi.

Rearranging the counter meticulously for the 20th time, Marco threw out a half-hearted ‘welcome to Diaz Coffeehouse’ at the sound of the door’s familiar chime. However when he glanced over, the atmosphere in the room lowered considerably.

Great, him again.

Standing by the doorway, an angry expression colouring his face, stood Tom. Star’s ex-boyfriend.

Marco didn’t know much about Tom, they had only met once when he’d all but attacked him for coming onto Star again, but he knew that Star was definitely not interested and the guy just couldn’t seem to take the hint.

The idea of someone messing Star around made Marco’s blood boil. Thanks to his continued Karate lessons, he wasn’t beyond slugging someone in the face if they hurt his best friend. Just as Marco started to think back to the last time Star had rejected Tom at their New Year’s party, the latter turned to the barista and instantly narrowed his eyes.

Marco absently noted Tom’s change in appearance, whilst last time they’d seen each other Tom had been dressed in bright colours to reflect his 'new and improved’ personality, that pretence seemed to have been binned.

The 19 year old staring back at him now, glowering no doubt at the memory of Marco yelling at him to “back off, demon”, was very different to then. He was dressed in all black; faded jeans and a t-shirt paired with a crisp black blazer and scuffed converse.

This was offset by the lurid red of his mussed hair, which partially covered the multiple hoops and cartilage piercings littering his ears. Tom was scruffy but composed, and Marco got the impression that his blazer alone was probably worth more than the Diaz family car.

Marco, on the other hand, usually opted for a standard grey top and red flannel shirt, depending on what he could find lying around the apartment. He figured that as he was forced to wear an apron at work anyway, his appearance didn’t really matter. This was clear to Tom as he sneered, his eyes running up and down Marco’s frame.

As the object of Marco’s scrutiny approached the counter, he had to restrain himself from sniping - a paying customer was a paying customer, after all.

Those thoughts were thrown out of the window as soon as Tom opened his mouth.

“Look, Marcus-”

“It’s Marco!”

“I still don’t know why Starship picked you to live with, but I hope you at least know how to brew a decent coffee.”

Marco bristled, but turned around anyway, immediately setting to work on a Café Americano with a double shot of Espresso to go. He may not have liked the guy, but Marco still made a mean black coffee and something told him that Tom needed it.

“What makes you think I don’t plan on staying?”

Marco jumped slightly at the noise but huffed, moving back to where Tom sat on a barstool.

“I don’t trust you. You’re just going to try and get information out of me about Star.”

Tom rolled his eyes. “ _Honestly_ , Marcus-”

“Marco.”

“ _Marco_ , if I wanted information on Star I’d just do a Google search. But I’m not a serial killer, and I know she’s got a new boyfriend anyway.”

His expression darkened at that, and Marco frowned. He hadn’t known Star and Oskar had made it official. They’d have to talk about that, house rules on bringing dates home still hadn’t been discussed.

With a shrug, Marco handed him the coffee.

“That’ll be 3 dollars.”

Tom gave a non-committal grunt in response, handed him the cash and turned on his heel.


	2. Today's special: Princess Pony Head

The Diaz Coffeehouse was oddly quiet, save for a scruffy-haired boy behind the counter desperately leafing through his notes. Marco sighed agitatedly, shoving his flashcards on a shelf and getting to work on a Macchiato that had been due at least 5 minutes ago. 

His fingers moved swiftly to the correct shelves, and soon he had a stencil held firmly in one hand as the other shook chocolate powder to create an intricate floral design.

Usually Marco was quite prompt with orders, but he'd done no revision for a test on abnormal behaviours and wasn't the kind of student that could let himself fail without a last ditch effort to fix his grade. A wry grin clouded his expression as he thought back to the cause of his predicament. 

Yesterday's shift had been a lot busier than this evening - Marcos feet virtually flew across the hardwood floor as he struggled to keep up. Serving trays laced with a variety of coffees and sweet pastries were balanced precariously in his arms as he took orders, and Marco felt like the mayhem might never end.

He was midway through a particularly complex request courtesy of a Brittney Wong when a familiar chime rung out across the cafe. Marco groaned internally, he was going to sleep well tonight.

Fake smile plastered across his cheeks Marco swivelled round to face the door, the usual "Welcome to Diaz Coffeehouse" on the tip of his tongue. 

He was immediately swamped by a mass of blonde hair, Star's excited shriek ringing in his ears painfully.

"Marco! Dear, sweet, Marco. I have incredible news!"

Marco raised an eyebrow, waiting patiently to hear about whatever had gotten his best friend so excited.

"Pony is in town and she's gonna meet us here at the coffee shop!"

This time Marco's groan was audible, and he couldn't keep the exasperation out of his voice.

"Star I'm working, and Pony hates me!"

"She doesn't hate you, she's just shy around new people!"

"Shy? She calls me turd!"

"Marco that's just an affectionate nickna- Oh here she comes!"

Marco flinched as the door was flung virtually off its hinges, a young woman with loud pink hair and a voice to match storming through it.

Her long tresses were left flowing down one side and she'd opted to wear electric blue eyeliner, a choice that Star was quick to compliment.

"Yo B-Fly it's been too longg!"

"Oh my god I can't believe you're really here! You look uhmazing!"

"Gurl what are you still doing hanging around this loser? We are definitely going out tonight!"

Marco's expression was sour as he butted in, "Good to see you too Pony - where did you get that nickname from anyway? One too many episodes of friendship is magic?"

"Oh it's short for Princess Pony Head, but I wouldn't expect an antisocial turd like you to know."

Marco blinked. 'Princess Pony Head'?

"Pony went to a house party dressed as one half of a horse-" Star was waving her arms around as she spoke while Pony chuckled softly "-because I accidentally forgot to text her saying that it wasn't fancy dress anymore. She was mad at first but then it became an inside joke."

"Don't waste your breath B-Fly, coffee turd here wouldn't know a good party if it punched him in the face!"

"I've been to some great parties. I'm a misunderstood bad boy!" Marco couldn't keep his indignation from seeping through.

Pony cackled at that, and Star's smile was sympathetic as she put a hand on Marco's shoulder.

"Don't worry Marco, we love you just the way you are! No one else knows brain karate like you do!"

"It's Psychology Star, and I'll prove it to you both."

He paused, scrunching his eyes shut and mentally preparing himself. He could hear the customers getting antsy behind him, and so spoke quickly before he could change his mind.

"Let's have a party at ours tonight, it's my day off!"

Stars face lit up at that, one of Marco's first house rules had been no parties unless he said otherwise. Marco opened one eye to see a creepy grin overtaking Star's face as she started to list party supplies.

"Yeah let's do it! And Pony you can try Marco's super awesome nachos!" Star's voice chorused across the room and Marco was suddenly aware of at least 3 elderly patrons glaring at him for their outstanding orders.

"Gurl, you're my bestie but nothing's gonna make me eat anything made by Princess Turdina."

Star pouted, her wide eyes imploring Pony to reconsider.

"Please, even for your super best friend who saved you from the guy at that Bring Me the Horizon concert last fall?"

Pony glanced between Star and Marco and sighed, poking the latter in his chest.

"Fine, but no weird ass ingredients, got it? And I'll be bringing a bunch of my friends so don't be going and making this party too lame!"

"You're the best Pony! And don't worry I won't let Marco screw it up, we're mess-up twins now!"

Marco sighed, taking his place back behind the counter and wondering what the hell he'd gotten himself into.

▵▿▵▿

Three whisky shots later that night and suddenly Marco didn't mind that he was bailing on psychology revision. A pleasant warmth had spread throughout his body, and he felt himself loosen up a little as he watched Star and Pony twirl around the kitchen. 

Even though Marco was borderline drunk at this point (he'd never been good with alcohol), he was still doomed to be a wallflower. He hadn't noticed the deep frown spread across his face or his furrowed brows until a gruff voice sounded from beside him.

"What's with you?"

Marco's body stiffened. He'd thought he was alone, but hearing Tom's words he knew he'd lucked out.

Marco looked over, debating whether or not to tell Tom about the bet he'd made with Pony Head.

"I'm not much of a party person."

Tom made a sort of humming noise and nodded, casting his eyes back towards Star. Oskar had found his way to her and she was giggling at something he'd said.

The grimace marring Tom's face could have made even Pony cower with fear. Marco suppressed a shudder. He'd never felt particularly warmly towards Oskar but he certainly pitied him how.

"I know what you're thinking, and you should stop. Mr Anger-Management needs to get over his feelings for Star, how can I get this jerk to leave her alone."

Marco didn't bother denying it, and so Tom pressed on.

"It's not that simple, okay? Do you know what it's like to have feelings for someone that you can't get rid of?" Tom was uncharacteristically quiet as he spoke.

"It's not as if I want to feel this way. I was never meant to like her."

Before he knew what was happening, Marco had opened his mouth.

"But it's good that you did. Star has a knack for improving people's lives, even when she doesn't mean to. Before I met her, I never took any risks. I never would have realised how much I liked psychology if we hadn't become friends back in high school, and I definitely wouldn't have made my black belt."

Tom was staring at him, almost slack-jawed at the idea that he'd been worth a reply from virtually a complete stranger, but Marco's advice kept pouring out unbidden.

"I know it hurts. Trust me, I'm in a similar situation myself. But you just have to accept the fact that she came into your life and changed it for the better, even if it doesn't feel that way now. You may think no one else has time for 'Mr Anger-Management'-"

At this Marco mimicked some slightly exaggerated quotation marks with his fingers, the alcohol pushing him onwards.

"-but I'm sure someone else will come along sooner than you think."

Marco's words trailed to a stop, and a sick feeling spread through his stomach as he realised what he'd done.

He'd offered advice to psycho ex-boyfriend Tom. About Star.

What if Tom thought Star was Marco's 'similar situation'? Did he know her and Marco were purely platonic? His face flushed with shame. What kind of a best friend was he? What if Star thought he'd stepped out of turn? 

He may be a psychology student but Marco was no love expert. His stomach was twisting into knots as his paranoid thoughts took over and he chanced a glance over, certain that it would be the last thing he did.

Tom had left.

Marco felt white-hot anger rush through him. Who did Tom think he was? Not for the first time he wished that Star hadn't banned karate in their apartment.

He was just about to go and kick out the couple on his bed so that he could lock himself in his bedroom and study when Star bounded over.

He couldn't stay angry with Star around, her face was lit up and a light blush dusted her cheeks.

"Oskar said that this was one of the best house parties he'd ever been to!"

"He's just saying that because he got to spend time with you."

"Oh Marco, this was one of your best ideas! I'm so happy thank you!"

She launched herself into a hug and Marco felt a soft smile tug on the corner of his lips as he wrapped his arms around her.

Suddenly a loud yell echoed from the other side of the room. Pony had jumped up onto a table and was screaming at the top of her lungs,

"WHO WANTS ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOTS?"

Cheers erupted around her and Marco was dragged laughing into the kitchen.

▵▿▵▿

Marco shuddered, clutching his head as he recalled how much he'd drunk. Definitely should have gone with psychology revision.

His eyes drifted to the clock, 22:04. It was starting to get late, only an hour so before he'd have to close up.

Marco cursed under his breath. There was no way he'd be able to memorise all this in time. Resigning himself to his fate, Marco put away his notes, deciding to instead make himself an iced coffee. 

That was another nice perk to having parents who owned the store; free coffee whenever he liked. A contented sigh slipped past his lips as he leant against the wall, sipping his drink. Marco was so engrossed in the rich frothy goodness that he didn't even notice the door open.

It was raining hard outside and Tom dumped his sopping wet umbrella by his feet, pulling himself up onto a bar stool and regarding Marco silently.

When it didn't look like Marco was going to take his order anytime soon, Tom cleared his throat loudly. Startling slightly, Marco blushed and began to stutter out an apology before he saw who it was.

"What do you want."

"Oh come on Marco. That's not very polite now, is it?"

There was a teasing lilt to Tom's words and Marco found himself slightly relieved that he was in a better mood to last night. 

"What do you want, sir."

"That's better. One Americano to drink in this time, please. And don't skimp on the foam, I like everything to be perfect." 

Marco rolled his eyes, silently moving his hands to the machine. The process was quick from years of practice, and Marco hoped that Tom would just drink his coffee and get the hell out of there so that he could lament his failed psychology grade in peace.

The universe had other plans as just at that moment, a beautiful girl with short wavy hair walked into the coffeehouse.

Jackie Lynn Thomas.

Marco almost dropped Tom's coffee, so opted instead to shakily slide it towards him across the countertop.

"What's with.."

Marco saw a lightbulb go off in Tom's head as he followed his gaze towards the blonde, leading to Tom adopting a grin eerily similar to a Cheshire Cat.

"Ah. The 'similar situation'?"

Marco was suddenly angry. His weekly head nod at Jackie Lynn Thomas was sacred ground, and he couldn't let Tom of all people disrupt it.

"Listen demon-"

"Cute nickname, so I'll bite."

"-you breathe a word to Jackie about that and you'll never set foot in this cafe again."

"Ah, so Jackie's her name? I have to admit she's pretty cute. You know I have a thing for blonde girls."

Marco's eye twitched slightly at that.

"How about I help you out. As thanks for your advice yesterday, I'm going to get that skater girl to date you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Marco, you're making a deal with the devil. I'm reworking chapter 3 and planning my new historical AU Billdip so I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, but probably quite soon. I hope people have enjoyed it so far :)


	3. Today's Special: Napkin Lyrics

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did a Tomco edit you might all like because this ship is still too small and needs love; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWW05C3tCuM  
> I prefer darker songs with them because Marco isn't some delicate flower and angst is the bomb (¬‿¬)

"Huh?" Marco's eyebrows knitted together in confusion, and he quirked his head inadvertently.

"You, Star's angry ex-boyfriend, are going to help me?" His voice was thick with scepticism and Tom snarled, shoving away his empty coffee cup. 

"Don't make me repeat myself!"

"Okay, okay!" Marco held his hands up in a placating pose. "I'm just surprised. I didn't have you pegged as a relationship councillor."

"That's rich, considering your match-making yesterday."

Marco couldn't help the flush that rose to his cheeks at that. He still didn't know where that unexpected bout of advice had come from, and his hands fisted in his apron awkwardly as he tried to defend himself.

"I was drunk yesterday! There's no way I would have helped you otherwise!"

"Sure, sure." Tom waved Marco off. "I'm here now and you're getting my advice whether you like it or not."

▵▿▵▿

Tom took to visiting the coffeehouse more than Marco would have liked after that, almost every evening.

Mouthwatering aromas encompassed the cafe as a steady stream of sweet pastries and coffees were served on delicate crockery, the air filled with the sound of bickering as Tom gave pointers both on Marco's performance in the kitchen, ("You rely too much on intuition. Making coffee is a methodical science, Marco") and on his love life. 

On the days that he wasn't there, Tom's 'pointers' ("Just go talk to the girl! Stop being such a pushover.") still rung in Marco's ears, making it even harder to approach her.

Marco couldn't help it, Jackie was everything that he found intimidating in the opposite sex; she was laid-back, daring and pretty. Basically the opposite of Marco, who, although handsome and gifted with chocolate brown hair and wide eyes, still had to order his pencils obsessively whenever he sat down at his desk.

His attitude towards school work was almost as bad as Tom's perfectionism concerning how he liked his coffee, though Marco noted that in all respects other than Star and his drink order Tom was dangerously self-assured.

Marco stopped that thought in it's tracks, irritated that once again his thoughts had drifted back to Tom. 

Soon enough Marco settled into a routine. He would take on his shift, serve a few customers and then Tom would arrive, just as the sun went down. The red-head would order a strong coffee and then sit scribbling on whatever bits of paper he could find. This would be done mostly in his tattered brown leather notebook, but one day Marco looked over to see Tom scrawling in thick black cursive script across spare napkins.

Marco sighed, before sliding across a few pages from his own ring-bound psychology notebook and getting back to serving the other customers. When he returned, he found Tom gone, a 'thanks' left in his usual place.

The second time Tom forgot his notebook, Marco couldn't help but linger more than he usually would near the moka pot, straining to see what had so much of Tom's attention.

Somehow 'closet poet' didn't seem to fit.

Tom spoke without even sparing Marco a glance.

"They're song lyrics."

His voice was curt, and Marco frowned; whether at himself for being interested, or at Tom for knowing this, he didn't know.

Marco couldn't suppress his curiosity, however, and so he ignored Tom's attitude and tried again.

"You're in a band?"

"No Marco, that stack of fliers you've been eying up in my bag are just me being obsessive."

"No need to be sarcastic, it's just a question."

Tom huffed, turning to give Marco his full attention.

"The band's called 'Lucifer's Abyss', but we've been thinking of changing the name."

"Lucifer's Abyss.."

Marco sounded the name out, liking the way it rolled off his tongue. He wondered how many other people knew about Tom's band. How popular were they? Marco had grown up listening mostly to Spanish music, so his knowledge of Alternative and Rock bands was limited at best.

Lucifer's Abyss though.. Where had he heard that name before? Lucifer's Abyss..

Oh-

"Jackie's mentioned your band before, I think. She came in for a drink before going to one of your late-night concerts".

Tom grinned, and Marco quickly realised his mistake.

"No. No way."

"Oh _come on_ , Marco! This is the perfect opportunity! We're playing at The Borderline next week for their 'Blood Moon' event, you should bring her along!"

"Tom I don't know anything about Concerts, and this isn't a part of my plan."

"Because that's been working _so_ well", Tom rolled his eyes theatrically.

"Even if it's only for the first set. Marco you know it would be the perfect chance to get to know her."

Marco had to admit it was a great idea, and he knew Jackie would love it. But the suggestion still prompted a feeling of unease deep in the pit of his stomach, and he wasn't sure why. Was it because of Tom's earlier comment about liking blondes? Marco forced himself to shrug, feigning nochalance. 

"Yeah, I'll see."

"Well if you change your mind, you know where we are." Tom's face had reverted back to one of guarded disinterest, and he paid for his coffee without saying much else after that.

▵▿▵▿ 

The suggestion weighed on Marco's mind for a few days, but he soon forgot about it, instead choosing to fulfil his end of the deal whenever Star visited the coffeehouse (which was often.)

If she noticed Tom's almost constant presence she didn't comment on it, and for that Marco was grateful. He didn't want to have to explain why he hadn't just kicked Tom out on day one, because he wasn't quite sure of the answer himself.

It was probably because he saw a sort of kindred spirit in Tom, his almost aggressive awkwardness around Star and girls who looked like her reminded him of his own behaviour around Jackie, and Marco found it a lot easier to give psychological advice to people other than himself. If Tom could just iron out some of his anger management issues, Marco was sure that he'd find the companionship he craved.

Was that what Marco was looking for, too?

A romantic relationship would be nice, of course it would, but did he really want to date Jackie?

Marco shook his head. This was no time for doubts, he'd come too far. But it did raise a question..

"Tom, why do you want a girlfriend so badly?"

Diaz Coffeehouse was empty at this time of day, Tom had come later than usual, and so Marco figured now was as good a time as any to ask. He braced himself for the inevitable onslaught he'd face for asking such a personal question, but it never came.

"Jealous, Marco?"

Tom cast his eyes to the boy and propped his head up on one hand, the ghost of a smirk spreading across his face.

Marco turned his head so that Tom wouldn't notice his embarrassment.

"Seriously."

Tom sighed, and before Marco could ponder the heat rising in his face the teenager spoke up again.

"I'm bored. When I'm bored, it's harder for me to channel my anger into my music. Relationships help me to deal with that boredom. It's as simple as that."

Was Tom.. Lonely?

Marco decided not to ask, he'd pushed his luck far enough already.

"What about you? Why are you so dead-set on getting Jackie to date you?"

The question took Marco by surprise, and he started half-heartedly making a coffee to buy himself time to consider.

"Not that I'm judging, of course, my obsession with Star was hardly healthy-"

(Marco made a mental note of Tom's use of the word 'was'.)

"-but it seems to me that if you truly wanted to go out with her, you'd have at least said hi over the last few months."

"You said it yourself, Tom. It's not that simple. I've known Jackie years but we've never gotten further than a passing nod. I feel like every time I get close to talking to her, something else comes up or I lose my nerve. Besides, lately I've..."

Marco swallowed.

"Never mind."

Tom stared at him for a few seconds longer than was necessary, and Marco shifted under his gaze. But then he turned back to his coffee, and the cafe lapsed into silence again.

▵▿▵▿

The next morning Marco's parents called before class, they'd had to go on an unplanned business trip to solidify some supply lines, and so had hired some new colleagues to help out around the cafe.

Marco wasn't too enthused at the idea, he'd gotten quite used to handling the place on his own and liked the freedom it gave him. But with their son only doing the evening shifts and Gustav due to move back to Scandinavia, he couldn't deny that more help was needed to keep the Diazes coffeehouse going during the day.

That said, if Marco had known who his new colleague was, he might have quit right then and there.

For a high school kid, Jeremy was quite possibly the most infuriating person Marco had ever met. He was usually quite level headed, but he felt his attitude worsening with each passing day spent with the kid. Karate class had been enough, now he had to share a workspace with the guy?

Marco swept the floor with more gusto, grumbling under his breath. It was only once a week, he reminded himself, the rest of the time the only interaction they shared was at the start of his shift during changeover.

It was still enough to drive him up the wall, though, and Marco's grip on the broom tightened as he recalled their conversation yesterday. 

"Ah, Marco Diaz! What a pleasant surprise, you're on time for your shift."

Jeremy made a show of flouncing around the counter to hand Marco the coffeehouse keys.

"You may be a blackbelt now, but I'm guessing still no girlfriend?"

Marco's face was dark, a scowl rivalling Brittney Wong's twisting his features.

"Shut up Jeremy."

At that moment Tom came in for his usual Wednesday evening takeaway, eyeing Marco carefully as he walked by, and the barista couldn't help but rejoice.

If Jeremy made so much as a passing comment at Tom, you could bet that it would be met with swift retaliation.

But Jeremy didn't speak to Tom, and what he said then to Marco was much worse.

"Oho! I see. No girlfriend then, but perhaps a boyfriend?"

Marco choked on air, his eyes widening. He could feel Tom's curious gaze on him from across the room and that only made the situation worse.

"No way!" Marco's voice cracked, much to his horror, and Jeremy gave him a look that clearly said 'don't even try to deny it.'

Marco all but shoved Jeremy out of the store after that, fumbling over some karate-related excuse when Tom asked what had him in such a fluster.

 ▵▿▵▿

"Latte, Marco."

Tom had brought his laptop today, and was sitting making some final adjustments to a song on Garageband, napkin notes scattered haphazardly around the keyboard.

Marco narrowed his eyes. That was a surprisingly mellow choice for Tom; something he was quick to voice.

"What's the occasion? Usually you like a strong coffee at this time of day."

"Not sure, I've been feeling more relaxed lately. Less like I want to stab something."

Marco started to chuckle lightly but then stopped himself.

Since when had he shared Tom's dark sense of humour?

"Anyway, I've been meaning to talk to you."

"Oh really? What's up, did Brian finally abandon you?"

"It's about Star."

Marco felt his guard come up. Anything to do with Star and Tom couldn't be good news.

"I don't like her anymore. I thought I did, but I've realised that I'm over it."

Marco paused, leaving Tom's unfinished latte on the side.

"That's.. Good, isn't it? Now you can move on."

Tom seemed to consider this, leafing through his notebook idly.

"Yeah, I suppose. It's nice though, I feel free somehow."

Marco nodded, and the two sat in comfortable silence for a while.

Tom looked like he wanted to say something, and eventually Marco's inquisitive nature got the better of him.

"Tom, what is it?"

"Uh.." Tom scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"My coffee, Marco."

The coffee! Somehow, talking to Tom, he'd forgotten all about it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty speedy update because I wrote most of this on holiday when I didn't have my laptop. Next chapter is a big one so it'll take me a bit longer, but I don't think you'll be disappointed.


	4. Today's Special: Lucifer's Abyss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Leave me an ask at kaorusan241.tumblr.com if you have prompts or anything for me, Tomco / any other fandom :)

**Hi Marco, we hope you're doing okay without us.**

**Send our love to Star, and try to relax some of your rules!**

Marco leant against the counter, scanning his texts idly. He definitely wasn't going to tell them about the party he'd thrown, or he was sure he'd never hear the end of it.

**We're so glad you're an independent college student now, it gives me and your dad some much-needed alone time!**

Marco shuddered at that, but continued to read.

**We've had an idea for the cafe that we'd like you to trial run while we're away.**

**How about you and Star try selling her clothes during your evening shift tonight?**

As well as being an excellent Art major, Star had recently taken to crafting dresses in her free time. 

At first it had started out as a hobby, she'd always liked historical ladies-wear, and she enjoyed picking out and working with fabrics ranging from deep plums to pale pinks. Lace ribbons and various trinkets adorned the corsets, and Star cut most of them so that they fell just above the knee. 

One day, after planning a birthday party for the younger sister of one of her friends, she decided she'd wear one of the more 'princessy' ones as a test-run.

Of course the kids loved it, how could they not with all of it's bright textures and sparkling beads, and so Star decided that maybe she should look into selling a few.

They'd proven quite a hit with party entertainers, and surprisingly also with college girls looking for fancy dress costumes. Halloween was coming up and so Star had just finished creating a line of dresses in darker colours, with black lace lining their bodices.

Marco loved Star's creativity, and so had no problem with helping her sell dresses. He was just about to draft a reply to the message, when he noticed its final few lines.

The corner of the countertop dug into Marco's back as he stood, rigid, eyes transfixed on his mobile in horror.

**We were thinking you and Star could wear them, as Star doesn't have any mannequins on hand. We want people to get a proper feeling for what they'd look like on!**

**All our love xxx**

Marco swallowed heavily, his frown deepening as he considered all of the taunts Jeremy would throw at him for this. Couldn't they have chosen to do a midday sale?

He could always leave out the details to Star, and just tell his parents that he'd worn them...

Marco jumped at the sound of his text tone, unlocking the screen quickly in the hope that this was all some big mistake.

**P.S. Be sure to send pictures!**

Marco cursed. They were definitely doing this on purpose.

▵▿▵▿

Star beamed as she sold one of her last dresses, the sale of which had attracted students from all over town. Her Halloween range had been a complete success, and Marco couldn't help but grin at his best friend, despite his lingering embarrassment at what he'd been forced to wear.

Marco couldn't deny that his dress was stunning. Star had tailored it beautifully to compliment his complexion; a cream floral outer skirt was cinched at one side with a dusty pink bow to reveal a lacy petticoat underneath. The bodice was that same flowery print, cut in a sweetheart neckline with short ruffled sleeves. It brought out the deep golden hues of Marco's skin and accented his wide brown eyes perfectly.

Star had been ecstatic when he'd first tried it on, admiring his legs which were apparently "even better than Pony's, but don't tell her that because she's my bestie!"

Despite her encouragements, Marco couldn't help but feel a little anxious at the amount he had on show, compared to his normal choice of jeans and a t-shirt. 

The soft fabric felt amazing brushing against his thighs, but it was still quite short, even if the top half of the dress was more demure than Star's other work.

Luckily no one he knew from college had come in to question his outfit choice. The only person he really didn't want to see was-

Marco ducked under a counter quickly, shifting sideways and peering out towards the door.

The universe was really messing with him today. Jackie Lynn Thomas, after over a week of absence, had decided to come looking for a takeaway coffee.

It wasn't so much the dress that had Marco worried, but his obvious discomfort at wearing it. If Jackie had any idea how awkward he really was, she'd never even look twice at him.

A voice in the back of his head that sounded suspiciously like Tom's told him that his future with Jackie was already on rocky ground, but Marco ignored it.

He shifted on his knees uncomfortably, praying that the exchange wouldn't take long. Jackie looked as relaxed as ever, complimenting Star's work with a smile and turning a darker dress over in her hands, admiring it's velvet hues.

Luckily, after a brief chat about some arts homework she hadn't completed yet, Jackie left the coffeehouse to catch a train.

Marco heaved a sigh of relief, standing up and adjusting his dress subconsciously. He was in the clear.

The boy turned around to get started on a list of drinks orders, only to jump harshly at coming face to face with the second to last person on earth he wanted to see looking like this.

Sitting at his usual seat and chuckling under his breath sat Tom, who had seen the whole thing.

Great.

The musician paused, taking a moment to consider Marco's appearance fully. He seemed to like the look, casting his eyes up and down Marco's skittish frame and nodding subtly.

The close scrutiny did something strange to Marco's stomach, but he didn't stop to dwell on it.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Marco's voice was venomous and he jabbed his finger into Tom's chest abruptly.

"I could ask you the same question. Good luck speaking to Jackie from under there, unless she doesn't mind talking to a cash register."

"I can't let her see me like this. She'd never take me seriously again!"

"Nope, she'd just be impressed that you own more than one pair of jeans and a few t shirts."

"Two pairs of jeans!"

"I rest my case."

Marco glared but before he could make some witty retort about his assortment of plaid shirts, Jackie slipped back through the open doors of the coffee shop.

"Sorry Star, I forgot my purse in the bathroom."

Marco yelped, starting to dive back under the table, but a cool hand quickly clapped over his mouth and he was dragged around the corner.

He struggled a bit, prying the hand off  of his mouth and glaring. Tom was looking past Marco towards Jackie, who was making her way to the bathroom on their right.

He slowly lifted a finger to his lips and Marco relaxed, knowing that if Tom hadn't grabbed him he would have definitely been seen.

Then again, if Jackie saw him now he'd be in real trouble. 

Marco hadn't noticed how close they'd been standing until this moment, but now he was all too conscious of the hand that was still gripped by Tom's slender fingers.

He could feel Tom's heartbeat through his black t-shirt, and Marco's own was beating wildly within his chest in fear of Jackie seeing them.

Holding his breath, Marco inched further back towards the counter, and as soon as Jackie passed through the exit he ripped himself violently out of Tom's grasp.

Tom merely raised an eyebrow, saying nothing and reassuming his position on the bar stool.

▵▿▵▿

Illuminated by the familiar dim glow of street lamps, Marco started the walk back to his apartment slowly. 

He'd just locked up after a pretty uneventful shift, it was a quiet day and they'd bought another milk frothing machine so things were going more smoothly than usual.

Marco found himself wondering again whether taking Jackie to Tom's gig at the Blood Moon festival was a good idea. He was an introverted psychology student, concerts were definitely not his natural habitat.

Honestly Marco didn't know why Tom even came to the coffeehouse anymore. Since his revelation about Star, Marco had told him there was no need to give romantic advice in return, but he wasn't so easily dissuaded. Something about Marco's love-life being "too pathetic to leave alone".

Although come to mention it, Tom hadn't made an appearance today. Marco cringed inwardly, thinking back to their conversation the day before.

 

"Well that was a close call. It's a shame though, I think she would have liked your dress."

"A shame? That could have been a disaster!"

"What's your problem, Marco? I did you a favour."

"My 'problem' is that if Jackie had seen us just now, she might have misunderstood, and everything would have been ruined."

"Misunderstood what? We were just standing next to each other. Besides, your hundred-step plan is hardly foolproof."

"You know what I meant."

Tom stared at Marco, and the shorter boy looked away, his expression uneasy.

Tom suddenly leant forward across the counter, invading Marco's personal space and stretching his palms out across the table.

"What, is this too close for you?"

Tom tilted his head slightly and his voice dropped lower.

"Worried she might think there's something between us?"

His tone was teasing but there was something darker under the surface that Marco didn't want to identify. He was too busy panicking about their close proximity.

"I just didn't want her getting the wrong idea. That's all."

Tom growled, slamming his hands on the table suddenly and making Marco jump.

"No Marco, that's not true. You didn't want her to see us because you felt guilty."

" _Guilty?_ It's not my fault I'm wearing a dress and you dragged me into a staff corridor."

Marco couldn't keep the shock and indignation out of his voice, which only seemed to spur Tom on.

"Face it, Marco. Part of you wanted to get caught. 

Pressed up against another guy in the shadows, knowing that your childhood crush was standing just outside.

You crave a little rebellion. That's why you're friends with Star, why you like Jackie. Stuff like that _excites_ you."

Marco struggled to school his expression into something neutral, but he could feel his cheeks flushing red anyway. 

No way, he was not a thrill-seeker. Tom was wrong. 

But Tom didn't stick around to hear Marco's counter-argument, leaving the barista with a weight in his chest and two extra espresso cups to clean up.

 

Marco's steps slowed to a halt.

If Tom was right, and Marco was a thrill-seeker, then maybe he had a shot with Jackie after all.

He'd always thought Jackie was too adventurous for him, that she'd get bored of him or they wouldn't have similar enough interests. But the scrapes he'd gotten into with Star in the last few months were proof enough, weren't they? 

Marco was a black-belt, he could handle himself, and yet he was too afraid to go to one late-night concert with a girl. 

Suddenly the whole thing seemed ridiculous.

His mind made up, Marco turned around suddenly, sparing a single glance back at his apartment before breaking out into a light jog.

He was going to catch Tom's gig tonight, to see if it would be okay for a date. By Marco's reasoning, if he could handle a night at one of Tom's grimy concert venues, then he could handle anything Jackie threw at him.

▵▿▵▿

Still gripping a flyer in one hand, Marco took a deep breath before descending the stairs.

Some group he hadn't heard of called AFI were supporting, the introduction to their song 'The Embrace' encompassing the seedy basement room in a steady beat as he pushed his way towards the stage. He wondered if he should have brought alcohol, his nerves were so wired.

Tom's band hadn't come on yet but Marco was shocked to find that by the time he reached the front he was already starting to enjoy himself. The excitement in the air was tangible, teenagers and college students nodding their heads and moving their arms in perfect rhythm to the sound.

AFI's set was drawing to a close, and Marco stood a few rows from the barrier, where he could see girls starting to lean forward slightly in anticipation.

He craned his neck, trying to catch a glimpse of the next act, but the sides of the stage were shadowy so he focused his attention elsewhere. 

The people standing around him had begun to chant aggressively - "Lucifer's Abyss" repeated over and over in a guttural monotone.

Tom had said that his band wasn't overly popular, but Marco was struck by the admiration and loyalty of those fans who had bothered to show up and support him.

Marco's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden scream to his left and he winced, following her line of sight to see a group of hooded figures striding out to the middle of the stage.

The principle figure took off his hood to reveal a mess of black hair, his eyes gleaming as he opened his mouth and started to murmur lowly. 

But Marco wasn't looking at him, his attention was focused on the guitarist to his right, who had also removed his hood.

For some reason Marco had expected Tom to be lead vocalist, his knowledge of the band was so comprehensive, but now he realised that Tom being a guitarist made perfect sense.

Marco couldn't take his eyes off of Tom's dexterous hands, which slid up and down the length of the guitar with practiced ease to create a heavy sound. Marco shifted in his position to get a better look. Dressed up like this, Tom was a strange sight, but it somehow fit with his image entirely.

His crimson hair glowed even brighter than usual under the dull UV lights hitting the stage, and Tom wore what looked like a demon horn headband that extended in angry black tendrils to finish in curved points.

An eye was scribbled messily onto the middle of his forehead in sharpie, to match the tattoos already running up his wrists. Tom had also put in a few extra piercings, causing his ears to glimmer as he moved.

He wore his usual black blazer, sleeves rolled up haphazardly, but Marco didn't pay much notice to his clothes. What really held his gaze were Tom's eyes, blood red contacts and black kol eyeliner making his jeans feel suddenly a lot tighter.

Marco's mouth parted slightly in surprise as suddenly a clear, deep voice joined the fray. Tom stood within his line of sight, still strumming an impressive riff with his hands, his eyes closed as he moved sharply to the beat of the song.

"I can't burn these demons, they breathe it all in

Can you hear my love? Could you feel my love if I scorched it into your skin?"

Tom's voice was rich and angry, the raw power and emotion behind it carrying the song to its climax. At that point the lead took over again and Tom stepped back, switching his focus back to his guitar.

▵▿▵▿

By the time the second set had finished, Marco felt like only minutes had passed. He staggered out of the concert venue in a daze, taking a cab and knocking on the apartment door lightly to be let inside.

He knew Star was up late tonight anyway working on a mural, and so didn't have to worry about waking her up. 

However at the sight of his shaken expression, she held out a hand to stop him.

"Woah woah hold up, Marco?!

Are you okay? You've never stayed out this late before without telling me."

"It's nothing, don't worry about it."

Star knew when not to push, and so didn't ask any more questions. They were still clear in her expression though, and Marco tried to ignore her probing gaze as he brushed past her.

Collapsing back onto his bed with a sigh, Marco stared at the ceiling. He'd never felt that keyed up before, about anything.

Even in Karate Marco had never experienced that same thrill, at the sight of Tom on stage, opening himself up completely like that...

...

Shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love music but I'm a terrible lyricist sorry :')  
> Marco is definitely in trouble, not that I blame him haha ;)  
> I'm heading off for my first year of college this Friday (terrifying) so the next chapter may be a week or so late. I'll see what I can do with the rest of this week though, they don't take me that long to write and I could do some on the plane :) But I thought I'd warn you all just in case :') I hope you've been enjoying it so far, and thanks for reading! <3


	5. Today's Special: A New Routine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To make up for the wait between chapters I've made another tomco AMV! I'm pretty proud of the manips so I hope you all like it :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ8Pzi6-HjU  
> 

Marco groaned lightly, running a hand  through his hair to try and ease the knots. He'd been in such a rush to get to his lecture this morning that he'd barely remembered to get dressed.

 

 

He knew that he looked like a wreck, but he hadn't had time to drop by the apartment after his tutorials, so now he was stuck brewing coffee until eleven with no chance of escape.

At least Jeremy had been bearable when they switched shifts earlier. Seeing the state that Marco was in, for once he hadn't stirred up trouble.

Marco's grip tightened on the jug as he poured himself a drink, his wrist wavering as he slowly placed it back on the counter top. Ever since the other night his nerves had been coiled to spring, dreading the moment that Tom should reappear.

He couldn't understand why he'd been so affected by this, it's not like he hadn't appreciated Tom's appearance before..

This was different though. The brief daydreams he'd had during lulls at work or in the quiet darkness of his room were nothing compared to how he felt now. 

Suddenly it was very clear why his feelings for Jackie had been dwindling, and it wasn't for lack of effort on her part. Jackie was just as lovely as ever, but Tom was something else entirely and Marco hated himself for noticing it.

Marco winced slightly as he thought back to Tom's performance yesterday, a familiar tightness taking hold as he remembered the thick desire he'd felt watching from below.

Washing his hands vigorously, he brushed the feeling off, resolving to shove the concert firmly to the back of his mind at least until his shift was over. He had to try and keep up appearances, especially because Tom had no idea that Marco had even been there.

He could just imagine how that conversation would go.

" _Hi Tom, I know that up until yesterday it seemed like I hated you, but after staring at you during your concert set on Thursday I've realised that I was actually attracted to you all along._ "

Somehow he didn't think Tom would take the news well.

Marco just had to keep it together for a few more days, until the image of Tom on stage had faded, and then they could get back to their usual routine.

As he was deciding this, the chime of the cafe door sounded and Marco turned around, the standard greeting dying on his lips as he took in Tom's appearance.

To an outsider he barely looked any different, but Marco was transfixed by the musician's eyes, which he had opted to line in a similar fashion to his stage costume.

He was so focused on their deep colour, which almost looked red in the evening light, that he didn't notice Tom's eyes narrowing or his eyebrows drawing together.

The sudden snapping of fingers in front of his face brought Marco back to reality, and he blushed heavily seeing the confusion in Tom's expression.

"Are you uh.. You alright there Marco?"

Marco nodded violently and turned back to the machines, a low "the usual then, Tom?" his only response.

Tom craned his neck, trying to catch a glimpse of Marco's face, before sighing softly.

"No, not today. I actually had something I wanted to talk to you about."

The barista paused, hands still poised near the espresso that he was sure Tom would order.

"Look, Marco, I'm sorry about the other day. I know you really like Jackie, so I won't get involved anymore."

Marco's whole body tensed up as he registered what Tom was saying.

No, this was all wrong.

"You were right, if Jackie had seen us hiding in an alcove she probably would have gotten the wrong idea, and I _knew_ that."

Marco was feeling slightly dizzy now as he tried to make sense of a response - he was too tired, this was too much.

"I guess I was just bored, my manager has been getting on my nerves recently and this whole thing with Echo Creek is messing with my head."

Tom was twisting on his stool slightly preparing to stand, and Marco started to panic.

What could he do to get Tom to stay? Deep down he knew the answer.

Without Star binding them together, what was the point of their deal anymore?

Would Tom even be coming to the cafe if it wasn't for that?

"So what I'm trying to say, I guess, is that I won't be getting in your way from now on. You've got a shot with Jackie so you should just go for it. You're already more confident than when I first met you. I'm sorry this has stretched on for so long."

Marco looked back to see Tom getting up, a gentle smile on his face. As he turned for the exit Marco faltered, his voice sounding scratchy and foreign to his ears as he stepped out from behind the counter.

"Ah- Wait!"

The cafe was too quiet, with only half an hour until closing time everyone else had left. Marco's voice rang out across the room, piercing the silence and causing Tom to jolt in surprise.

He gave Marco a quizzical look, as if to say, 'isn't that what you want?'

What did Marco want?

Another step forward. A light cough accompanied Marco's blush, which had returned with a vengeance.

"I, uh, I saw you at your concert the other night."

Tom's eyes widened, and for the first time he actually looked slightly embarrassed. Rubbing his neck, he shook his head and chuckled awkwardly.

"Oh? What did you think? Is my work worth all those notebook pages you donated for lyrics?"

Marco was about to brush it off with a shrug, but then reminded himself why he was standing in the middle of the coffeehouse, arms outstretched slightly as if to keep Tom in place.

"I loved it." Marco's voice was quiet, but it wasn't cracking anymore, which he took as a good sign. "The atmosphere was electric. Everyone really wanted to be there, to be with you on stage."

Tom looked taken aback by Marco's admission, but his lack of response wasn't enough to stop the words pouring out of Marco's mouth. He was in too deep now, and couldn't seem to stop talking.

"I've always thought you were talented, but to see you up there was different. I didn't know how to react.."

They were standing face to face now and Tom still hadn't moved, continuing to stare at Marco with a blank expression.

Marco stopped, gauging Tom's reaction silently. He had to make him understand why he couldn't let him leave, why he'd gone to the concert.

This wasn't about Jackie anymore.

He leant forward slowly, softly brushing his lips over Tom's.

He was too afraid to even breathe, his heart was thrumming so hard in his chest that he felt sure Tom could hear it.

The feeling of Marco's lips on his seemed to startle Tom back to life and he quickly stepped back, voice catching in his throat as the truth began to dawn on him.

Marco was rooted in place, his eyes searching Tom's for something, anything! But the expression was gone as quickly as it came, his face reverting to one of careful detachment as he turned on his heel and left the cafe in silence.

▵▿▵▿

"Marco? Please come out! You've been in your room for hours!"

Star's knocking was relentless, but Marco didn't move an inch, staying in his position lying sprawled out across the bed.

"Marco _please!_ I even made nachos! They're not as good as yours, and I almost set the kitchen on fire, but I really tried to make them good.. I promise!"

Marco's head shifted slightly at the prospect of Nachos, but it wasn't quite enough to coax him out of the warmth of his sheets.

"I guess if you won't eat the nachos with me, I could always ask Pony to come over.."

Sighing exaggeratedly Marco hauled himself off of the bed - if Pony came round he'd have no chance of sleep anyway so he figured that he might as well give in to Star's demands.

Marco had never skipped a lecture before, but today he just couldn't bring himself to sit through another hour of relationship psychology, given everything that had happened yesterday.

He felt a pang in his chest just thinking about it, accompanied by a wave of nausea as the deep embarrassment he'd felt the day before washed over him again.

What had he been _thinking?_ That Tom would suddenly start liking him just because his feelings for Star had faded? That the few 'moments' they'd had together meant that Tom wasn't straight? Marco cradled his head in his hands, before yanking one of his more comfortable hoodies off the chair and leaving the bedroom. 

He'd never felt more humiliated.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Star's nachos, though unsuccessful in cheering him up, tasted delicious. Before Marco knew it, his shift at the coffeehouse had come around, and he was bored out of his mind waiting for his shift to end.

This was the part of working here that he hated the most. It was risky for him to be left to his thoughts for too long.

The jarring sound of his iPhone startled Marco and he sighed heavily, grabbing his keys and flicking the lights off as he moved to lock up the cafe.

A small part of him had wondered if Tom was coming back today, but Marco tried to let it go.

He’d probably never see him again.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the support over the last few years omg! I don’t really watch SVTFOE anymore (in Voltron hell) but I haven’t forgotten about this story, and after re-reading it just now I’m reminded that it had a lot of potential. I hated the ending and that’s why I’d been avoiding it, I felt like it was too rushed, so over Christmas break I’m hoping to restructure it entirely and maybe twist it a little to fit with new details. Again, THANK YOU, so much!


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